In a criminal case, the state, through a prosecutor, initiates the suit, while in a civil case the victim brings the suit. Persons convicted of a crime may be incarcerated, fined, or both. Criminal defense attorneys represent clients who have been accused of committing a crime, and defend their rights at each stage of a misdemeanor or felony case -- from an arrest to an appeal after conviction. Criminal defense attorneys may be hired privately or provided by the government (called "public defenders").
Minnesota Lake is a city in Blue Earth and Faribault counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 681 at the 2000 census. The bulk of the city is in Faribault County; only a small part extends into Blue Earth County. Minnesota Lake was first called Marples in 1858 after an early settler of the area. It was later changed to Minnesota Lake in 1866. The small Blue Earth County portion of Minnesota Lake is part of the Mankato–Metropolitan Statistical Area.